Category Archives: coronavirus

The pandemic is getting worse. What does this mean for fall semester?

Posted on August 13, 2021 by Bryan Alexander

This week I’ve been focusing on climate change, between my book and the new IPCC report.  That was what I planned to work on, along with dealing with multiple family crises and fine-tuning my fall seminars. But COVID just won’t … Continue reading →

Posted in coronavirus | 12 Comments

Scenarios for the next COVID-19 variants: the SAGE document

Posted on August 8, 2021 by Bryan Alexander

What will COVID-19 develop into?  What variants should we expect? I’d like to continue my futures exploration of the pandemic today by focusing on a set of scenarios recently published by Britain’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).  It’s an … Continue reading →

Posted in coronavirus, scenarios | 10 Comments

Delta COVID changes the pandemic struggle: a leaked CDC document and what it means for higher ed

Posted on July 30, 2021 by Bryan Alexander

Last night and this morning I worked hard on climate change and higher education, writing up two book chapters and a blog post.  But I’m not going to blog about that today, because the latest COVID developments are so urgent … Continue reading →

Posted in coronavirus | 4 Comments

American life expectancy declined, mostly due to COVID-19

Posted on July 23, 2021 by Bryan Alexander

For years I’ve used a certain phrase in presentations.  It came up when I was describing modern demographics.  I would explain how lifespans have increased in developed nations, and that more people will live longer, and then want on to … Continue reading →

Posted in coronavirus, demographics, trends | 5 Comments

Heat domes, low-density campuses, and what we can do: two excellent readings

Posted on July 2, 2021 by Bryan Alexander

As I write this post two major crises are hitting the world in ways which bear closely on higher education’s future. Across the world very high, even extraordinarily steep temperatures are striking certain regions from Siberia to Canada, causing humanitarian … Continue reading →

Posted in climatechange, coronavirus | 6 Comments

Looking back to April 2020: losses, gains, and checking on my futuring work

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Bryan Alexander

A year ago this month I was engaged in trying to help higher education anticipate the next year as COVID roiled the world.  Today I’d like to check back and see how I did. (“A year ago”: just writing that … Continue reading →

Posted in coronavirus | 2 Comments

One plan for American higher ed this fall: how many campuses are requiring vaccines? UPDATED

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Bryan Alexander

UPDATED MAY 1 As spring term proceeds, colleges and universities are planning for this upcoming fall semester. There is a lot going on in this complex process, especially as pandemic conditions change. I have posted about one scenario already, plus … Continue reading →

Posted in coronavirus, higher education | 4 Comments

What our pandemic year tells us about how we might respond to the climate crisis

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Bryan Alexander

What does our experience with the COVID pandemic suggest about how humanity will deal with the far greater crisis of climate change? As a futurist, I’ve been thinking about this for a while (see earlier posts 1 and 2) and … Continue reading →

Posted in climatechange, coronavirus | 8 Comments

Looking ahead to higher ed in fall 2021: struggling towards normalcy

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Bryan Alexander

Earlier this week my family took in a videoconference hosted by the University of Vermont, where Owain is a history major. The UVM team was very clear on one point: the return of a pre-COVID educational setting by fall 2021.  … Continue reading →

Posted in coronavirus, future of education | 10 Comments

Getting my second COVID vaccination

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Bryan Alexander

On February 14th I received my first COVID vaccination.  This week, on March 8th, I got the second one. I’d like to share my impressions here for a few reasons, starting with my customary transparency. Perhaps this little account will … Continue reading →

Posted in coronavirus, personal | 2 Comments